Now this is a Pumpkin Patch

By Alice Liles

Alice’s Note: This story first appeared in my blog The Bright Lights of Muleshoe on November 17, 2010. We had actually taken the kids to see the pumpkins in 2008 but for some reason did not write about it until two years later. Now that it is October and pumpkin season again, this seemed like the appropriate time to revisit the patch. It was a beautiful sight, and since I have not had the pleasure of visiting a field of pumpkins again, I am glad I have these pictures to remind me of the trip and to share with you.

I decided if I was going to talk about West Texas cotton, I shouldn’t leave out West Texas pumpkins. You have your city-style patches, and then you have the real deal. This is one of those real deals north of town that we visited with the grandkids and AJ and Erin around Thanksgiving in 2008.
These are the seconds, the rejects that the grocery stores didn’t want. Aren’t they beautiful? We wanted to take them all home but stopped when we had loaded 47 pumpkins, large and small.
A field of pumpkins is really something to see, and something most people have never had the opportunity to enjoy. So here you are.
And of course since Halloween was right around the corner, we rushed right back to the house where Caroline joined us and proceeded to turn some of them into jack-o-lanterns.
For more pictures of the pumpkin patch, go to www.aliceliles.com and type Now this is a Pumpkin Patch in the Search line.